prajba-paramita-hrdaya-sutram
    |                        |                  |                  |
N.f.              N.f.          N.n.        N.n.
   |___________|              |         Nom.sg.
              |_____________|               |
                          |_______________|

नमः सर्वज्ञाय ॥
अथ प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयसुत्रम् ॥
праджньаа-паарамита-хРидайа-сутрам

Vocabulary:
prajba-, f.: wisdom (pra+jba-), праджньаа - мудрость

paramita-, f.: perfection, crossed (gone to the opposite shore, param "to the opposite shore" + ita, ppp. from i- "gone"), парамита - совершенство, достижение (другого берега)

hrdaya-, n.: heart, хРидайа - сердце

sutra-, n.: thread, text, сутра - нить, текст

Translation:
The sutra on the heart of the perfection of wisdom.

Перевод:
Сутра о сердце совершенной мудрости.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    This sutra is supposed to be a later apocryph, created as a quintessence (or "the heart") of the whole prajbaparamita literature.
    The Mahayana Buddhism stresses the way of a bodhisattva, spiritually mature being who helps all the living entities to attain Nirvana. In order to be able to become such a being, one must constantly cultivate and practice six "perfections" (dana, giving, wila, morality, ksanti, endurance or patience, virya, energy or strength, dhyana, concentration and prajba, wisdom). Of these six, wisdom is the most important one. 

Комментарий:
Эта сутра считается поздним апокрифом, замысленным как квинтэссенция ("сердце") всей праджняпарамитской литературы.
Буддизм Махаяны делает упор на пути бодхисаттвы, духовно зрелого существа, помогающего всему живому достигать нирваны. Чтобы стать таким существом, необходимо постоянно культивировать и практиковать шесть "совершенств" (дана - даяние, вила - нравственность, кшанти - терпение или упорство, вирья - энергию или силу, дхьяну - концентрацию, и праджню - мудрость). Из этих шести мудрость - наиважнейшая.

arya-avalokitewvarah bodhisattvah gambhiraj prajba-paramita-caryaj caramanah
   |               |                   |                  |               |           |            |              |
N.m.        N.m.             N.m.           N.f.          N.f.      N.f.       N.f.        N.m.
   |         Nom.sg.        Nom.sg.        Acc.f.           |______|        Acc.sg.   Nom.sg.
   |________|                    |                  |                      |_________|              |
           |_______________|                  |_________________|                      |
                        |                                                |_____________________|
                        |______________________________________|
                                                         |______________________________________

vyavalokayati sma: pabca skandhah.
         |              |           |           |
   V.pres.       part.     num.     N.m.
      3.sg.           |           |      Nom.pl.
         |________|           |______|
_______|                            |
       |______________________|

3. арйа-авалокитешьвараХ боддхисаттваХ гамбхираМ праджньа-парамита-чарйаМ чараманаХ вьявалокайати сма паньча скандхаХ

Vocabulary:

Словарь:

avalokitewvara-, m.: name (ava+lok-, to look, ppp. avalokita; iwvara-, m.: lord), авалокитешьвара - имя ("господь смотрящий")

bodhisattva-, m.: "being of awakenment"; bodhi-, m.: awakenment; sattva-, m.: being), боддхисаттва - пробужденное существо

gambhira-, adj.: deep, гамбхира - глубокий

carya-, f.: practice, чарйа - практика

caramana-, adj.: practising (pa. of car-), чарамана - практикование

vyavalokayati-, 3.pres.sg., vi+ava+lok-, to see, to percieve, вйавалокайати сма - узрел

sma-, part.: denotes past, сма - частица прошедшего времени

pabca-, num.: five, паньча - пять

skandha-, m.: part, constituent element of being, скандха - элемент бытия

Translation:

The noble bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara practising a deep practice of the perfection of wisdom percieved: five constituents.

Перевод:

Благородный бодхисаттва Авалокитешвара, практикуя совершенную мудрость, узрел пять скандх (основных элементов бытия).

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    Avalokitewvara is a very popular figure in Mahayana Buddhism. Today he is venerated mainly in Tibet (Cenrezi) and China (where he underwent a "gender-change" - into female bodhisattva Kuan Yin). He got his Sanskrit name from the fact, that he "looks down" on the world with compassion. By putting this sutra into his mouth, the author gave it the needed credentiality.
    Here, Avalokitewvara is practicing a deep meditation, in which he gains a great insight into a true nature of the world: he perceives that there is no metaphysical reality, no permanent essence. All that exists are just the five skandhas - or five constituents of every living being. They are: rupa, form, vedana, feeling, sajjba, perception, sajskara, mental impulses (of which there are several kinds) and vijbana, consciousness.

Комментарий:
Авалокитешвара - очень популярная фигура в Буддизме Махаяны. Сегодня он почитается в основном в Тибете и Китае (где подвергся перемене пола, став женской боддхисаттвой Гуань Инь). Свое санскритское имя он получил потому, что смотрит на мир сверху вниз, но с состраданием. Вкладывая эти сутры в его уста, автор придает тексту необходимую освященность.
Итак, Авалокитешвара практикует глубокую медитацию, в которой достигает великого прозрения в истинную природу мира: он видит, что нет никакой метафизической реальности, никакой постоянной сущности. Все сущее - это просто пять скандх, или пять составляющих любого живого существа. Это рупа - форма, ведана - чувство, санджня - восприятие, самскара - ментальные импульсы (различного вида) и виджняна - сознание.

5. iha wariputra rupam wunyata wunyata eva rupam.
|             |                |              |                |            |           |
adv.     N.m.         N.n.        N.f.           N.f.       part.     N.n.
|         Voc.sg.    Nom.sg.  Nom.sg.     Nom.sg.      |      Nom.sg.
|_______|                |________|                |            |______|
      |                               |                       |__________|
      |                               |__________________|
      |__________________________|

5. иха шьарипутра руупам шьунйата шьунйата эва рупам

Vocabulary:

Словарь:

iha, adv.: here, иха - здесь

wariputra-, m.: one of Buddha's foremost disciples, шьарипутра - один из основных учеников Будды

rupa-, n.: form, руупа - форма

wunyata-, f.: emptiness, abstractum of wunya-, adj., empty, шьунйата - пустота

eva, adv.: just, only, эва - только, лишь

Translation:
Here, Sariputra, the form is emptiness, emptiness is just the form.

Перевод:
Вот, Шарипутра, форма есть пустота, а пустота - лишь форма.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    In this sentence, Avalokitewvara addresses Wariputra, in older Buddhism one of the most important disciples of the Buddha, truly, one of the two foremost disciples. He and monk Maudgalyayana are repeatedly called the most spiritually advanced monks and are considered to be the example for all the others.
    By picturing Avalokitewvara as lecturing Wariputra the authors of this sutra hoped to get across the message that Mahayanic teaching is superior to that of the older Buddhism - even Wariputra is unable to understand it and has to ask bodhisattvas (such as Avalokitewvara) for help in this matter.
    The word "here" denotes the level of attainment reached by Avalokitewvara. On lower levels (such as older Buddhism, seems to be suggested) things seem to be different but once you reach this high stage - the truth reveals itself.
    Now follows very shocking statement: "the form is emptiness". Older schools of Buddhism tended to analyze Universe into dharmas or constituent elements. Here comes the sentence which tries to negate their five hundred years long effort. The form (we could say the matter) is identified with emptiness. It doesn't mean just "it's empty". Complete identification is proclaimed here.
    And the second half of the sentence seals this: emptiness is the form. There is no emptiness outside of the form (and the other skandhas which follow in the sentence 8).

Комментарий:

7. yad    rupam       sa     wunyata      ya     wunyata      tad    rupam
   |               |               |               |               |                |               |              |
N.n.         N.n.          N.f.           N.f.           N.f.           N.f.           N.n.         N.f.
Nom.sg. Nom.sg.   Nom.sg.    Nom.sg.    Nom.sg.     Nom.sg.     Nom.sg.   Nom.sg.
   |________|                |________|               |_________|               |________|
          |_________________|                                |_________________|
                        |____________________________________|

7. йад руупаМ саа шьунйата йа шьунйата тад руупам

Vocabulary:     Словарь:

yad, n., rel.pron.: what, йат - что

sa, f., pron.: she, саа - она

ya, f., rel.pron.: what, йа - что

tad, n. pron., that, тад - то

Translation:
What is the form, that is emptiness; what is emptiness, that is the form.

Перевод:
Что является формой, то является и пустотой; что является пустотой, является и формой.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    And again, Avalokitewvara repeats his statement - he must have felt Wariputra was really stupid!
    Identification of the form and emptiness is thus (on the third repetition) completed. Probably the authors felt that those who don't get it even after being told thrice are really hopeles cases...

Комментарий:
И снова Авалокитешвара повторяет свою мысль - он должно быть понимал, насколько глуп Шарипутра!
Утверждение тождества формы и пустоты (трехкратное) на этом завершается. Должно быть авторы чувствовали, непонявшие это с трех раз вообще безнадежны...

9. iha wariputra sarva-dharmah wunyata-laksanah
  |           |               |               |                 |                |
adv.    N.m.         adj.          N.m.          N.f.           N.m.
  |      Voc.sg.          |          Nom.pl.           |           Nom.pl.
  |______|               |________|                  |_________|
       |                             |___________________|
       |__________________________|

9. иха шьарипутра сарва-дхармааХ шьунйата-лакшанаХ
 
Vocabulary: Словарь:

sarva-, adj.: all, every, сарва - все, каждый

dharma-, m.: here means "phenomenon", дхарма - (здесь) явление

laksana-, m.: characteristic, character, mark, лакшана - характеристика

Translation: Перевод:

Here, Sariputra, all the phenomena have the emptiness as the characteristic.

9. Здесь, Шарипутра, все явления характеризуются пустотностью.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    Very important change occurs in this sentence. Whereas until now Avalokitewvara talked about skandhas as being empty, now suddenly he starts to comprise into this emptiness all the dharmas - constituent elements or properties.
    Older schools of Buddhism (especially Sarvastivada) developed the teaching about dharmas into every detail. There are two main groups of dharmas: unconditioned (here belongs the Space and two kinds of Nirvana) and conditioned (where belongs everything else). Conditioned dharmas are again subdivided into Form (11 dharmas), Thought (1 dharma), Mentals (46 dharmas) and Various (14 dharmas). Thus altogether there are 72 dharmas.
    Now we learn, that all these qualities which were supposed to be real, are in truth empty - they are characterized by emptiness. It means that even the Nirvana is seen as emptiness - something until now unheard of! Basically, the difference between conditioned and unconditioned dharmas is altogether eradicated here - for why make a difference if they are both "characterized by emptiness"!?

Комментарий:

11. tasmat wariputra wunyatayam   na rupam      na   vedana
    |                |                      |               |         |              |           |
adv.          N.m.                N.f.          neg.    N.n.         neg.       N.f.
    |           Voc.sg.            Loc.sg.          |   Nom.sg.         |      Nom.sg.
    |_________|                      |               |_____|              |______|
            |                               |                    |_____________|_____________
            |                               |__________________|
            |__________________________|
 
na sajjba na sajskarah na vijbanam
  |          |          |            |              |             |
neg.    N.f.     neg.      N.m.        neg.       N.n.
  |    Nom.sg.    |       Nom.pl.        |        Nom.sg.
  |______|         |_______|             |________|
____|____________|_______________|

 
Vocabulary:
tasmat, adv.: therefore (Abl.sg. of tat, it),

Translation
Therefore, Sariputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no mental impulses, no consciousness.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    Because there is no difference between conditioned and unconditioned dharmas, because there is no difference between all the dharmas and wunyata, it makes no sense to postulate these terms at all. So, in this sentence we find out that because of the fact of emptiness (the locative "in emptiness" is rather meant as an absolute locative, meaning roughly something like "if there is emptiness") there are no five skandhas.

13. na rupa-wabda-gandha-rasa-sprastavya-dharmah
  |       |           |             |            |              |                    |
neg. N.n.     N.m.      N.m.     N.m.        N.m.             N.m.
  |       |           |             |            |              |                Nom.pl.
  |       |______|_______|_______|________|___________|
  |_____________________|

Vocabulary:
wabda-, m.: sound,

gandha-, m.: scent,

rasa-, m.: taste,

sprastavya-, m.: touchable,

dharma-, m.: here "mind-object",

Translation:
No form, sound, scent, taste, touchable, mind-object.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    After enumerating the six sense organs in the previous section now follow six respective object of the senses. They too are considered as not existent (in the true sense of the word).

15. na avidya   na avidya-ksayah    yavat  na    jara-maranam na  jara-marana-ksayah
|        |         |       |          |              |      |         |          |         |      |         |          |
neg. N.f.    neg. N.f.     N.m.       adv. neg.      N.f.     N.n.   neg.  N.f.    N.n.    N.m.
|   Nom.sg.  |       |     Nom.sg.        |      |         |    Nom.sg.    |      |         |     Nom.sg.
|____|         |       |______|              |      |         |______|        |      |_____|           |
     |             |_______|                    |      |________|              |          |_________|
     |___________|                          |              |                      |__________|
               |                                    |               |_________________|
               |____________________|________________|

Vocabulary:
avidya-, f.: ignorance,

ksaya-, m.: extinction,

jara-, f.: old age,

marana-, n.: death,

Translation:
No ignorance, no extinction of ignorance..., until we come to: no old age and death, no extinction of old age and death.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    In this section, we find so called "dependent origination", or twelve links of the chain of causation (pratitya-samutpada). This formula forms one of the corner stones of Buddhist teaching. Again, the sutra lists only first and last part.
    Let's enumerate the whole chain here:

Ignorance --- mental impulses --- consciousness --- mind and body --- six senses --- contact --- feeling --- thirst --- attachment --- becoming --- birth --- aging and death.
 
    They arise dependently on each other like this:

1. Mental impulses (sajskara) are caused by ignorance (avidya).
2. Consciousness (vijbana) is caused by mental impulses.
3. Mind and body (nama-rupa) are caused by consciousness.
4. The six senses (sad-ayatana) are caused by mind and body.
5. Contact (sparwa) is caused by the six senses.
6. Feeling (vedana) is caused by contact.
7. Thirst (trsna) is caused by feeling.
8. Attachment (upadana) is caused by thirst.
9. Becoming (bhava) is caused by attachment.
10. Birth (jati) is caused by becoming.
11. Aging and death (jara-marana) are caused by birth.

    They cease in the same order as follows:

1. Because of cessation of ignorance, mental impulses also cease.
2. Because of cessation of mental impulses, mind and body cease.
3. Because of cessation of mind and body, consciousness ceases.
4. Because of cessation of consciousness, the six senses cease.
5. Because of cessation of the six senses, contact ceases.
6. Because of cessation of contact, feeling ceases.
7. Because of cessation of feeling, thirst ceases.
8. Because of cessation of thirst, attachment ceases.
9. Because of cessation of attachment, becoming ceases.
10. Because of cessation of becoming, birth ceases.
11. Because of cessation of birth, aging and death cease.

17. na   jbanam na praptih na   a-praptih
  |           |           |          |          |      |         |
neg.     N.n.      neg.    N.f.     neg. neg.   N.f.
  |     Nom.sg.      |    Nom.sg.    |      |    Nom.sg.
  |______|            |_____|          |      |_____|
        |                      |               |______|
        |____________|____________|

 
Vocabulary:
jbana-, n.: knowledge,

prapti-, f.: attainment (from pra+ap-),

Translation:
No knowledge, no attainment, no non-attainment.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    In this section we found enumerated the last three items from the list of the dharmas. "Knowledge" means knowledge or cognition of the categories mentioned in previous sections. If they all are "characterized by emptiness", what is there to cognate?
    Therefore, also attainment of Nirvana is impossible, for it itself is characterized by emptiness. But - to counter the possible objection of being nihilistic - Avalokitewvara immediately adds: no non-attainment. It is also impossible not to attain Nirvana.
    Does it sound illogical? Oh yes! But that's just what is this sutra trying to do - to destroy old Buddhist model, where everything has a logical place, everything has logical consequences. Perhaps it was felt as being too dry. So new Mahayana movement reacts with more mysticism and less logic.

19. prajba-paramitam awritya viharati a-citta-avaranah
     |                |                    |               |         |       |             |
  N.f.           N.f.                V.          V.pr.    neg. N.m.      N.m.
     |          Acc.sg.              abs.         3.sg.      |       |        Nom.sg.
     |_________|                    |               |         |       |_______|
             |                             |               |         |_______|
             |________________|               |_________|
                           |______________________|

Vocabulary:
awritya, abs.: having resorted to (from a+wri-),

citta-, n.: mind,

avarana-, n.: covering, hindrance,

Translation:
that he dwells without the hindrances of the mind, having resorted to the perfection of wisdom.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    Because a bodhisattva is fully aware of the true nature of things, he relies on the Perfection of Wisdom. Thus a bodhisattva understands the emptiness. And that means, paradoxically, to rely on nothing at all - to let things take their natural course.
    Then he dwells without "hindrances of mind" - obstructions to spiritual development. They are of three kinds:

1. karma-avarana - past wrong deeds that did not bring the fruit yet,
2. klewa-avarana - defilements such as greed, hatred, delusion etc.
3. jbeya-avarana - obstructions arising from attachment to cognizable objects, from believing in their real existence.

21. tri-adhva-vyavasthitah sarva-buddhah prajba-paramitam awritya
    |        |           |               |          |            |             |             |
Num. N.m.     N.m.          adj.     N.m.       N.f.        N.f.           V.
    |____|       Nom.pl.         |     Nom.pl.      |        Acc.sg.       abs.
        |_________|               |_____|            |_______|              |
                |________________|                      |____________|
                               |__________________________|

 
Vocabulary:
tri-adhva-vyavasthita:
1) tri-, num.: three,
2) adhvan-, m.: time, era,
3) vyavasthita-, mfn.: existing, present (ppp. of vi+ava+stha-)

sarva-, adj.: all, every,

buddha-, m.: Buddha,

Translation:
All the Buddhas existing in the three times, having resorted to the perfection of wisdom,

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    Buddhas of the three times are the Buddhas of the past, the Buddha of this present era and the Buddhas of the future.
    According to this text, they all have relied on Prajbaparamita and practiced it extensively.

23. tasmat jbatavyam
      |                |
    adv.          N.n.
      |           Nom.sg.
      |_________|

Vocabulary:
jbatavya-, mfn.: should be known (ger. from jba-),

Translation:
Therefore one should know:

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    Therefore, because of all that has been said until now, one should know the facts, following in the next sentences.

25. an-uttara-mantrah a-sama-sama-mantrah sarva-duhkha-prawamanah
|       |          |        |     |        |         |           |          |              |
neg. adj.    N.m. neg. adj.   adj.   N.m.    adj.     N.m.       N.m.
|____|    Nom.sg.  |___|____|    Nom.sg.     |______|       Nom.sg.
     |_______|            |___________|                  |__________|
            |________________|_____________________|

 
Vocabulary:
a-sama-sama-, adj.: unequalled (sama-, adj.: same, identical),

duhkha-, m.: suffering,

prawamana-, m.: appeasement, pacification,

Translation:
the highest mantra, the unequalled mantra, pacification of all suffering.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    Other qualities of this mantra are enumerated here: it is the highest mantra, there is no mantra better than this. Furthermore, it is unequalled - there is even no mantra like this one. And it brings the pacification of all suffering - of course by bringing the realization of the true nature of things.

27. prajba-paramitayam uktah mantrah
      |                  |                    |              |
   N.f.             N.f.               N.m.       N.m.
      |             Loc.sg.          Nom.sg.   Nom.sg.
      |__________|                    |________|
               |_____________________|

Vocabulary:
ukta-, mfn.: said (ppp. of vac-),

Translation:
The mantra was proclaimed in the Perfection of Wisdom.

Sentence pronunciation Аудио

Commentary:
    This sentence causes us some difficulties. "In the perfection of wisdom" seems to suggest that this mantra was already described and used in some other text of the vast Prajbaparamita corpus. But actually we can not find it anywhere else but here. We could of course suppose some hypothetical lost Prajbaparamita texts, but have no knowledge about them.
    Some authors therefore translate this passage as "The mantra was proclaimed BY the Perfection of Wisdom", meaning here The Wisdom personified, as a sort of deity. The only trouble with this otherwise very elegant solution is the usage of the Locative in the word "prajbaparamita". If the authors had the meaning "by" in mind, they would have used the Instrumental.